Hi,
I recently ordered a new debit card from my bank and found that the new card already had two declined $1 transactions to paypal before I even received it in the mail, let alone activated it. Paypal knew my new card number before I did. I was especially concerned, because earlier in the month there were suspicious declined purchases on my previous debit card (at businesses I have never purchased from), prompting me to order the new card in the first place. My bank told me that visa may have automatically sent the new card information to paypal, and that paypal was trying to verify the new card. I'm suspicious because the transactions also resemble somebody trying to set up a new paypal account with the new card number. My Bank told me to contact paypal customer service to be sure, they also told me I should be able to opt out of paypal obtaining new card information in the future.
When I called paypal customer service, I was forced to navigate a labrynth of automated headings, none of which met my needs, ultimately reaching the incredibly pedantic and patronizing automated statement (paraphrased) "Sometimes when you use pay pal to make a purchase from another seller, the bank statement will list paypal as the seller", followed by "Say repeat, or main menu, or, if you are done, hang up". I felt this response was "stating the obvious", and insulting. If I had not already eliminated this option, I would not have tried to contact customer service. This response assumes that any perceived unauthorised paypal activity on the customer's bank statement must be illusory, and that the customer must be an idiot. The service did not offer any further options, nor did it offer any obvious recourse or solution for actual unauthorised activity.
Long story short. Does paypal automatically obtain new card info from visa? Is this in fact what happened to my account (probably will need to talk to an actual customer service rep for this one)? Is there a way to tell from my bank statement that money is going into my paypal account and not somebody elses? The bank statement just gives me a number. Also is there a way to talk to a human customer service rep?
Thank you,
Ben
P.S. I find it ironic that paypal asks me to verify "I'm not a robot" at the end of this post, when I am not allowed to demand the same from their customer service.
